In ,
Richard J. typed:
Ambrose Nankivell wrote:
In ,
Richard J. typed:
Simon Hobson wrote:

IMHO, this confirms the theory that the best way to reduce speed
is to make the driver feel that a lower speed is appropriate snip
Sticking ONLY to speed limit signs, do you not think that with
the ever increasing number of them, drivers are simply taking
less notice of each of them individually ?

That's because many of the limits are arbitrary, and in particular
are generally not lowered at specific hazards. In France,
however, if a bend on a 90kph road requires 50kph, that's the
limit that is imposed, often with an intermediate limit to give a
smooth reduction in speed. With intelligent limits like that, I
find I am much more inclined to obey them than the blanket UK ones.

Let me get this straight: you prefer to obey the speed limit in
France because it's lower in some places.

No, because it's set more intelligently in France than in the UK.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the maximum permitted speeds in France are
broadly comparable to those in the UK, with the difference that, in France,
they put extra speed limitations in the bits of the road that require you to
go more slowly, whereas in the UK, they leave it to the discretion of the
driver. So in the UK, where the law relies on your discretion, you ignore it
in a fit of pique instead of merely driving more slowly than the limit.

I can't see the logic in that.

Unless you're just flinging mud at the enforcement of speed limits in the
UK, so as to discredit them. If you want to discredit speed limits, then
give examples of where they're set too low or too high, rather than
criticising signing policy.

Ambrose